Right now, everyone should wear a mask in public, unless there is some medical reason they can’t. Young, old, immune-compromised or not–it’s unbelievable that this completely commonsense thing is getting politicized.
It’s a pandemic, people. We should all wear masks.
I understand the increasing resentment toward coronavirus restrictions–certain people have decided that a pandemic is too good a thing to waste. Some politicians are using Covid-19 as a reason to expand their authority far beyond anything even approaching reason. People attending a drive-in church service, where everyone stayed in their own cars and observed social distancing, were fined a thousand dollars apiece, in a town where it’s perfectly okay to stand in line to buy booze. Governors in some states have actually made it against the law to buy seeds for your garden. In some places, it’s illegal to mow your own front lawn. This is completely ridiculous. I understand being upset. Civil liberties are no small thing. What’s going on is completely unconstitutional, at least in the US.
And there’s a certain longing to push back, to show that we won’t take this lying down. I get that, too. But our desire to preserve our rights shouldn’t include risking our health and the health of others.
By all means, protest your power-happy governor, mayor, or chief of police. Some of them richly deserve it. Just wear a mask when you do.
Wearing a mask is not a political statement, and it’s not a civil liberties issue–except for the right to wear one right now. The other day I walked into my bank wearing a bandanna mask. That sort of thing is usually illegal, and with good cause. Facial recognition software is basically out of luck with most of your face covered. However, protecting your health and the health of others is far more important than being able to potentially identify criminals.
But I’m not sick, you might say. Why do I have to wear a mask?
Okay. In case you haven’t stayed abreast of the news, a significant number of people have the novel coronavirus and show no symptoms https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html. I have no fever, cough, etc., and I’ve done my best to stay at home since the beginning of March. My particular county has very few cases and no coronavirus deaths. But I still wear a mask in public. Because I could be sick and not even know it.
In fact, anyone could be sick and not even know it. And you could easily come in contact with someone who has a vulnerable person at home. So, you should wear a mask.
But wait, you say. I’ll observe social distancing and wash my hands a lot.
Good idea. But even the best-laid plans can go awry.
People can trip or get knocked into others. It’s just part of life. You may suddenly turn around and bump into someone. Think back on all the times you’ve accidentally touched someone without meaning to. Normally, it’s just a quick smile and an “excuse me,” with no harm done. But now, it could be something much worse.
And yes, your mask could get knocked askew, like with poor Vincent above. But all we can do is the best we can do. However, if you’re not wearing a mask at all, then you’re not doing your best.
And I get it–wearing a mask is uncomfortable. Whenever I can’t avoid shopping, I do it as close to lightning speed as I can manage. I need to get back to my car so I can breathe. It’s hot under that thing.
But you could get bumped into someone whose spouse just had heart surgery. Or a person who’s caring for their 87-year-old mother. Or a man whose kid has leukemia…the list goes on and on.
But wait, you might say. We need to get the economy restarted. People die due to economic downturns as well.
I agree. And wearing a mask is the best way to make going back to work a success. If we reopen shops and restaurants, and then the virus surges, and then the hospitals get overloaded, we’ll be right back where we started. Staring at bills with no hope of paying them. We all want this thing to go away, as much as possible.
But it’s not going to be just like it was a few months ago. Viruses aren’t impressed by positive mental attitudes. This pandemic is going to be with us for some time. It’s going to continue killing people. We need to join together to protect as many lives as possible, both from Covid-19, and from economic downturns.
So, wear a mask.
Think of it in terms of risk and reward. If it turns out that wearing a mask was unnecessary, then it was uncomfortable, and you were annoyed. But if wearing a mask turns out to be critical, you could help save lives. Some of them might even be people you love.
Please wear a mask!
Also, in case you’re a Matthew McConaughey fan, here’s a quick, five-minute snippet where he makes an appeal for unity and mask-wearing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycl5GQTsw1s.
And here’s a link to Chris Martenson’s Peak Prosperity reports, where he’ll tell you all about taking vitamins C and D, along with zinc, to try to avoid getting this plague, or at least decrease the severity if you do. And he’ll also show you, with many charts and graphs, why it’s important to…
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Avid writer and reader of Faerie tales and noblebright fantasy.
Cathleen Townsend 
[…] via Be Prepared–During a Pandemic, Wear a Mask — Cathleen Townsend […]
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Thanks for the reblog! : )
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With you and sharing, Cathleen!
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Thanks so much, Bette! : )
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Hugs! ❤
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I love Matthew’s video. I almost used it but then I found a different mask.
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There are a lot of mask designs out there. Any of them will be a lot better than going without.
: )
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The message in this post is very much relevant.
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Thanks so much! : )
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I’ve been wearing a mask, Cathleen. Not because I’m feeling ill, but because it’s the caring and responsible thing to do and I want to set a good example. It really bothers me to see people without masks. It’s such a disrespectful thing to do. They’re basically demonstrating that they don’t care if they kill someone.
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I’ve decided that mask wearing is the pandemic equivalent of covering a sneeze or cough. We don’t do that for ourselves–we do it to protect others. It’s a health courtesy. We’re used to it. This is my shot at reminding people that as things open up again, it’s not “business as usual.” I think some people want that so badly, they’re just not thinking things through.
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You are more gracious than I, Cathleen. Part of me figures that most of us will catch this at some point since the US is a free for all. I just hope we survive it.
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So do I, Diana. Mask wearing has gone way down, though, and that’s a key first line of defense. And some of the very people who are most vocal about wanting to “open back up” are making it unlikely that restarting the economy will be a success. I’m probably preaching to the choir here, but I gave it my best shot.
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Yep. I’m the choir. Lol.
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Dang, I had no idea that they were making it illegal to mow your front yard or to buy seeds…and fining people for attending church in their cars is so wrong. That’s the problem, I think. Certain parts of the government have definitely over-reached their authority in response to this pandemic (and strangely, the states with the most restrictions also have the highest numbers of cases, so it’s sort of hard to argue that those restrictions are working). And now people are pushing back and resisting….so they’re not wanting to wear masks, I guess.
It’s sad, because wearing a mask in public is probably one of the best things we can do to protect ourselves and each other from this virus, and it also allows businesses to reopen to stop more of them from going broke. But frustrated, frightened and angry people make stupid decisions. I just hope the governors wake up to the fact that they are partly to blame for people reacting the way they are reacting, and start being more reasonable. That might help, but I don’t know. Thankfully, in our area, the lockdowns aren’t so strict and I would say that about 90% of the people are wearing masks in public places, at least the indoors ones. Outdoors, it’s quite easy to stay at least ten feet away from other people, so many don’t. I’m wearing my mask! It’s a small price to pay for a somewhat normal life!
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Thanks for wearing a mask! In areas that do, the spread of the virus is significantly slowed. And I’m glad your “stay at home” restrictions are bearable. I wish we had 90% compliance in our area (rural California county in the Sierra Nevada foothills). Maybe two-thirds of us wear masks, and I’m afraid that number is going to decrease with some folks thinking this is somehow “over.” Fortunately, some stores are requiring masks, and that helps, although many of the comments I’ve read call the places “communist” or worse. Sadly, ignorance will always be with us.
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That it will, sadly! All we can do is try out best to educate people and to set a good example. (And bonus: for those of us who are a “certain age”…me, not you….masks hide a lot!)
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I agree that we all should be wearing masks. But I draw the line at wearing it in my car alone, LOL, as I see many drivers doing! Or on the bike trail riding alone, physically distanced by at least 30 feet! I had to try on new glasses today at Costco…wearing a mask. All good! I have to remember NOT to automatically put on lip balm, then the mask! Great reminders, Cathleen!
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I don’t wear a mask in my car, either. And outside, when I’m on the trail with nobody around, it seems silly as well. I never thought about wearing a mask while trying on glasses, but it sounds like a good idea. Hang in there! This too shall pass. : )
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